Gender Issues Like most indigenous tribes we’ve examined this semester, there seems to be a distinct line between genders for the Aeta. While many aspects of life in the Aeta tribe are balanced between the two genders, equality is not always present and power tends to be in the hands of men.
Gender relations in the family: The basic family unit among the Aeta is the nuclear family. This consists of a mother and father and their children. In the past, these nuclear families were the product of arranged marriages. However, as time as progressed, the tradition of arranging marriages has faded and in general couples themselves now make decisions about getting married. One might think that this is a step towards gender equality in that women now have a say in who they choose to marry. However, before couples are married, their families meet and negotiate a bride price to be paid to the bride’s family based on her determined value. Even though marriages are no longer arranged, the fact that a numerical price is still placed on Aeta women demonstrates the devaluing of women in which this culture engages. Within the marriages themselves, the role of the man and the women is about equal. They evenly distribute power and responsibility when it comes to taking care of the home and the family.
Gender relations in social and political systems: The Aeta have no social stratification or classes; they are an egalitarian society in which age is the strongest indicator of power and respect. The eldest male member of the tribe is often seen as the leader of the group, and even still their role is no more than advisory; individuals have a final say about their own rights and decisions. The Aeta generally do not have any interest in gaining power for individual advantages and life among them is peaceful. Even though their society may seem equal, the Aeta clearly do not see women as equal in terms of leadership. Women are never chosen or looked to as leaders of the tribe, and the Aeta men have articulated that they don't feel women can communicate as effectively as they can.
Gender relations in labor: The Aeta are nomadic people who engage in hunting/gathering and foraging lifestyles. Due to the impermanence of their location they do not own much land and therefore do not have to deal with the pressures and responsibilities that come with owning large amounts of land. Hunting and gathering is a vital part of the lives of the Aeta that has clear gender roles. Simply put, men do the hunting and women do the gathering. About 1/3 of the total food a family consumes comes from hunting while the other 2/3 comes from gathering. Women have a vast knowledge of nature and the foods that are found in nature and which ones are safe to eat. They are much more knowledgeable than Aeta men in this respect. They're also responsible for preparing the food and are very knowledgeable in that respect as well. While the men may take a leadership role in the family, the women are very much in control of the production of their resources. However, even though hunting and gathering is a huge part of the Aeta livelihood, they have always engaged in farming to some extent. This farming is usually done by the families on a smaller scale. When it comes to dividing labor in terms of farming, the husband is predominantly in charge. He takes on the majority of the responsibilities and the harder tasks. However, this does not mean that the women of the families do not share in the workload. The husband takes on a leadership role but the wife and children certainly contribute to the work.
Changing roles due to Mt. Pinatubo: The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo had a very serious impact on the Aeta. It affected almost every aspect of their lives. The direct and indirect effects of the eruption brought very serious consequences to the Aeta. Gender equality took a large toll because of the eruption. Prior to the explosion of the volcano, men were generally the leaders of the household, but this did not mean that women were subservient to them. In their small-scale farming and hunter-gatherer lifestyle, Aeta families were responsible for their own livelihood and men and women did roughly equal amounts of work in terms of labor. Men had primary farming and hunting responsibilities and made most important decisions, but women were responsible for gathering and preparing food. The mobile lifestyle that the Aeta lived by allowed women to freely allocate and produce their own food and thus make a living. The volcano, however, imposed on this nomadic lifestyle and resettlements assigned by the Philippine government forced the Aeta into a sedentary life. In this life, men became responsible for making income and communicating with the government while women were stuck at home taking care of the children. They became completely dependent on men for income and food, which greatly set them back in terms of equality.
Like most indigenous tribes we’ve examined this semester, there seems to be a distinct line between genders for the Aeta. While many aspects of life in the Aeta tribe are balanced between the two genders, equality is not always present and power tends to be in the hands of men.
Gender relations in the family: The basic family unit among the Aeta is the nuclear family. This consists of a mother and father and their children. In the past, these nuclear families were the product of arranged marriages. However, as time as progressed, the tradition of arranging marriages has faded and in general couples themselves now make decisions about getting married. One might think that this is a step towards gender equality in that women now have a say in who they choose to marry. However, before couples are married, their families meet and negotiate a bride price to be paid to the bride’s family based on her determined value. Even though marriages are no longer arranged, the fact that a numerical price is still placed on Aeta women demonstrates the devaluing of women in which this culture engages. Within the marriages themselves, the role of the man and the women is about equal. They evenly distribute power and responsibility when it comes to taking care of the home and the family.
Gender relations in social and political systems: The Aeta have no social stratification or classes; they are an egalitarian society in which age is the strongest indicator of power and respect. The eldest male member of the tribe is often seen as the leader of the group, and even still their role is no more than advisory; individuals have a final say about their own rights and decisions. The Aeta generally do not have any interest in gaining power for individual advantages and life among them is peaceful. Even though their society may seem equal, the Aeta clearly do not see women as equal in terms of leadership. Women are never chosen or looked to as leaders of the tribe, and the Aeta men have articulated that they don't feel women can communicate as effectively as they can.
Gender relations in labor: The Aeta are nomadic people who engage in hunting/gathering and foraging lifestyles. Due to the impermanence of their location they do not own much land and therefore do not have to deal with the pressures and responsibilities that come with owning large amounts of land. Hunting and gathering is a vital part of the lives of the Aeta that has clear gender roles. Simply put, men do the hunting and women do the gathering. About 1/3 of the total food a family consumes comes from hunting while the other 2/3 comes from gathering. Women have a vast knowledge of nature and the foods that are found in nature and which ones are safe to eat. They are much more knowledgeable than Aeta men in this respect. They're also responsible for preparing the food and are very knowledgeable in that respect as well. While the men may take a leadership role in the family, the women are very much in control of the production of their resources.
However, even though hunting and gathering is a huge part of the Aeta livelihood, they have always engaged in farming to some extent. This farming is usually done by the families on a smaller scale. When it comes to dividing labor in terms of farming, the husband is predominantly in charge. He takes on the majority of the responsibilities and the harder tasks. However, this does not mean that the women of the families do not share in the workload. The husband takes on a leadership role but the wife and children certainly contribute to the work.
Changing roles due to Mt. Pinatubo: The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo had a very serious impact on the Aeta. It affected almost every aspect of their lives. The direct and indirect effects of the eruption brought very serious consequences to the Aeta. Gender equality took a large toll because of the eruption. Prior to the explosion of the volcano, men were generally the leaders of the household, but this did not mean that women were subservient to them. In their small-scale farming and hunter-gatherer lifestyle, Aeta families were responsible for their own livelihood and men and women did roughly equal amounts of work in terms of labor. Men had primary farming and hunting responsibilities and made most important decisions, but women were responsible for gathering and preparing food. The mobile lifestyle that the Aeta lived by allowed women to freely allocate and produce their own food and thus make a living. The volcano, however, imposed on this nomadic lifestyle and resettlements assigned by the Philippine government forced the Aeta into a sedentary life. In this life, men became responsible for making income and communicating with the government while women were stuck at home taking care of the children. They became completely dependent on men for income and food, which greatly set them back in terms of equality.